The Mortal Plane
Overview The Mortal Plane is one of the many Planes of the Multiverse. It is also the Plane of origin for Soul Reaver and Stavarus Revenard, and often a target for invasion for the Daemons of Inferno. Cosmology The Mortal Plane's basic cosmology is much like that of our own universe, with planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae and so on. However, none of the planets from our own universe exist within the Mortal Plane, so it is not likely that it can be considered a parallel universe to our own. 'Known Locations' The Mortal Plane contains an untold number of planets, though much as in our own universe, most are uninhabitable. However, some known worlds of interest include: *Shundahre *Dynaria 'Sub-Planes' The only commonly-known sub-plane for the Mortal Plane is The Other Side (see 'Afterlife', below) Physics The laws of physics in the Mortal Plane all operate more or less the same as they do in our own universe. The only major exceptions to this are the existence of Magic, and the differences in some more metaphysical aspects of the Plane, such as its Gods and the nature of its afterlife. Magic Magic is a form of energy that permeates the Mortal Plane. It is ebbs and flows throughout the Plane. For the most part it tends to concentrate around planets and life, while it is more scarce in the empty depths of space. In places where Magic is highly concentrated, it may cause strange, uncontrolled supernatural occurrences. However, for the most part, Magic does not interact with the world around it. Most people remain unaware of its existence all around them. A few individuals are able to feel the Magic around and within them, and they may be able to learn to manipulate it. Such individuals are called 'Magic-Users'. The majority of Magic-Users are simply born with an innate ability to sense Magic, but a small number of very long-lived or determined individuals have managed to attain the same abilities without having been born with them. Manipulating raw Magic is incredibly difficult - it is like trying to lift a giant pile of sand with only one hand, or attempting to hold a whole nest of small, squirming, slippery snakes in one's fist. Magic is chaotic and fickle and flows like air or water, constantly escaping one's grasp. To ease the use of Magic, every Magic User instead learns to distill a small component of the Magic that surrounds them, absorbing it and storing it in their body. This distilled energy is known as 'Mana'. Magic Users can then weave and shape their Mana to affect the world around them in some way - this is referred to as casting a spell. Spellcasting usually involves the speaking of mystical words together with performing physical gestures in order to call forth, shape, and then release the Mana in the form of a desired spell. Although theoretically these ritual acts are not actually required to take a specific form, most Magic Users find that adhering to tried-and-true combinations of words and gestures for a given spell makes the difficult task of spellcasting much easier. Spellcasting depletes a Magic User's stored Mana reserves, and is both physically and mentally exhausting. Also, typically the more powerful a spell is, the more difficult it is to cast and the more Mana its casting requires. If a Magic User's spellcasting attempt fails (perhaps because they made a mistake, or because they were interrupted before completing it), it usually results in the Mana used in its casting dissipating uselessly, but there have been instances where failed spells have backfired with unpredictable and possibly devestating effects. After extensive spellcasting, a Magic User will need time to rest to recover and replenish their Mana reserves before they can cast more spells. Most spellcasting can be completed with just a moment or two of intense concentration and a handful of magic words and gestures, but some spells (particularly those that imbue a physical object with magic) are extremely time consuming, requiring extensive rituals and extended periods of concentration - any interruption of such a ritual would immediately ruin the spell. The manifestations caused by the majority of spells are only temporary, and the Mana that composes them will unravel and dissipate back into the streams of Magic after a time. However, it is possible to work Mana into a physical object. Enchanting an object in this way will prevent the Mana from dissipating and will usually imbue the object with special powers. However, powerfully enchanting an object is very time-consuming and difficult, and few Magic Users have the required ability, resources, and incentive to make such items. As a reult, powerful magic items are very rare. 'Types of Magic' Magic Users are typically grouped into specific Orders. Every different Order uses Mana composed of a different aspect (or aspects) of Magic. This in turn affects how they must shape their spells, and the nature of the spells that they cast. The Orders have their own philosophies and their members tend to share some similar personality traits. Some scholars have wondered if perhaps this is not only due to certain types of magic attracting like-minded individuals, but perhaps also because the Mana that a Magic User chooses to use has an affect on their own emotions and thoughts, but the truth is not known for certain. Some of the different types of Magic known to exist in the Mortal Plane include: *Pure Magic *Druidic Magic *Mage Magic *Enchantment *Warlock Magic *Necromancy *Dark Sorcery *Runic Magic *Divine Magic (which has a very different source and is utilized differently) Gods The Gods of the Mortal Plane are extremely powerful beings, most likely composed of sentient energy. They do not 'live' in any one location - they seem to be omniscient and capable of intervening anywhere. How the Gods were formed is unknown. Some suspect that they are a manifestation of mortal thoughts rippling through the Magic that suffuses the Mortal Plane. Those thoughts and feelings - common to so many living things - eventually coalesced into these sentient beings. The different Gods appear to respond to and take an active interest in the actions of mortals, with each God being interested in a specific sphere of action or interaction (such as love, war, trade etc). Why the Gods take such an interest in mortal affairs is uncertain, although it is likely that mortals performing certain acts strengthens or feeds them. The Gods may choose to aid (or hinder) the actions of mortals in order to strenghten themselves. However, although they are extremely powerful, the Gods almost never interfere directly in mortal affairs. To the casual observer, acts of the Gods often appear to be little more than good or bad fortune... which explains why some great heroes, favoured by one or more Gods for the deeds they have performed, may be saved by sheer 'chance' when all else seems lost. The Gods show particular favour to those who make their own luck, however. The more an individual calls upon aid from their God, and the more the Gods have to give aid to their subjects, the less likely those subjects are to recieve aid when they need it. Those who do not ask, but simply serve the Gods faithfully, are more likely to be rewarded. 'Clerics' Individuals who dedicate their whole lives to serving a God (such as Clerics, but may also include crusaders, priests, paladins and the like) may become so favoured by that God that the God uses them as their own representatives to more directly influence the mortal world. In the case of such dedicated individuals, the aid that the Gods offer them is far more overt, and is given in direct response to their servants' requests. Such individuals are often gifted by their Gods with the power to wield the Gods' Divine Magic - all for the purpose of spreading the word, influence and glory of that God through the world, of course. Afterlife The afterlife in the Mortal Plane goes by many names, though it is most commonly called the "Other Side", and is a sub-plane of the Mortal Plane. It is generally believed that the souls of all those who have died fade from the Mortal Plane shortly after death, gently drawn toward the Other Side. Once exiting the Mortal Plane, these souls first need to pass through the borderlands at the outer edge of the Other Side, often called the Shadowlands. The Shadowlands stretch forward as a grey, rocky, path on a mountainside. The towering cliffs block the reddish sunlight that is only just barely visible over its peaks, plunging the area in eternal shadow and twilight. The souls of the recently departed trek slowly through this dismal place, pale shades that resemble the departed individual at their time of death. The Shadowlands are filled with a sense of quiet sorrow and loss, as the souls mourn for their lost lives and those they left behind. It is believed that no living, physical body can survive long within the Shadowlands - it saps their very life-force, draining them of colour until their bodies turn grey and crumble into soft, dry dust, leaving only their soul behind to join the others on their trek. After an indeterminite time wandering the Shadowlands, the souls will eventually reach their destination: the Other Side. Though nobody knows for certain what lies in store for them there, it is believed that it is ultimately a place of justice. Sins are paid and atoned for, good deeds are rewarded, and finally, an eternity of tranquility and peace awaits all but the most irredeemable. 'The Death Hymn' On the world of Dynaria, the Death Hymn is a short song sung by the living to mark and mourn the passing of the recently dead, as well as to wish them a safe journey to the Other Side. It goes as follows: Through the trials of laughter, joy and love, '' ''And fire, steel and tears, '' ''Guide our kinsmen to their rest, '' ''Forever quell their fears. Now on the back of Death's great steed, '' ''Beyond all this you ride '' ''May you pass beyond the Shadowlands '' ''And reach the Other Side.''' 'Otherworlders' If visitors from other Planes die in the Mortal Plane, their souls may travel to the Other Side, or return to the afterlife of their Plane of origin. How exactly they are able to make this journey is uncertain, though it likely involves the natural fissures into the Warp that occur in almost every Plane. Category:Epic Board Battle Category:Plane Category:Cosmology